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What Size Post for Modular Tool Rest
Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:47 pm
by paulmcohen
I have been looking at the Best Wood Tools Modular Tool Rest for Shopsmith. They offer a 3/4" Post designed for the Shopsmith standard to Universal Tool rest. they also offer several 1" posts that would fit only in the Universal Tool "banjo". Has anyone tried the 1" post and if so what size did you use they vary from 4 1/8" and 8". Many of the accessory rests don't work on the 3/4" post. Also I found out Packard Woodworks sells these items for 20%-33% less then other sources. The 3/4" Shopsmith post is $17.95 compared to $26.95.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:02 am
by deanthom
Thanks for doing the research, man!
As to the size on the Universal Tool Rest, I honestly don't remember. If I get my tool rest out, I'll measure it. Essentially, what you want for your max length is something that will bottom out so that the top of your tool rest is no more than about 1/4" below the center point of your spur drive. That would get a thick tool somewhere near just above the center point. The max height that you can work at is about 1/4" above the center point. That would allow for scraping below the center.
If the hole in the UTR bottoms out at say 6" below the center of your spur drive, and if you're going to add a 1" diameter tool rest, you'd want a post that was about 4-3/4" long, IMO. DO NOT BUY A 4-3/4" POST UNTIL YOU KNOW HOW DEEP THAT HOLE IS!!!! This is ONLY an example!!
These are "ABOUT" figures, okay? Lots of folks will provide their own min/max numbers. They will all work. If you look at dedicated lathes that are well-designed, these numbers are pretty close to the range that they provide.
I'll try to pull my UTR out and see if I can give you an actual measurement, unless you beat me to it. What's the measurement from the bottom of the hole to the point of the center of the spur drive??
Hope it helps.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:54 am
by paulmcohen
The hole in the UTR goes all the way through, I never realize the Shopsmith post is made up of several pieces. A 1" post with a steel ring to adjust how are into the hole it stops. Then it has a large steel shelf with a 3/4" hole for mounting the Shopsmith tool rest. Packard sells 1" posts of tha give a total hight (including the rest) of 4", 4 1/8", 4 3/16", 4 1/4", 4 1/2", 4 11/16", 5 1/4", 5 1/2 long.
How to Measure Height of Tool Rest Post
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:45 pm
by paulmcohen
I emailed Packard Woodworks and Brad Packard replied:
First measure from the top of your toolrest (where the tool sits) down to the bottom of the post. Then, look in our catalog (and I assume online) at the sizes listed in blue after the tool post. Above it says "Assembled Height", also in blue. This means the height of a 3/4" diameter T-Bar (crossbar) is included in the measurement. Find the toolrest post of your diameter (1" for the Shopsmith with Universal Tool Rest) and find the one that is similar in length to the one you have. If it doesn't match go for one a little longer that could always be cut off with a hack saw.
I still need to do some measurements but at least I know what to measure.
?????
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:49 pm
by deanthom
Paul, I'm not sure that I'm following you.
Using the UTR, the actual Shopsmith toolrest fits into that nifty little arm which then fits into the 1" hole of the UTR. At a minimum, the non-SS toolrest that you're wanting, with its 1" post, has to be figured from the top of the area where the nifty little arm slips into the big arm of the main body of the UTR, right? If you just take the length of the SS tool rest, you're going to come up short of your target by at least the depth of the "nifty little arm".
Sorry for the ad lib terminology. Can't find my owner's manual for the UTR just now. 
Does that make any sense??
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:32 pm
by paulmcohen
I think you need to measure the entire assembly, from the bottom of the UTR arm (A in the picture) to the top of the original Shopsmith Bar (B). The terminologyproblem is that the entire assembly is called the tool rest vs. the bar that actually holds the tool.
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:41 pm
by deanthom
or maybe to the center of the spindle, and then you can play with the 1/4" up or down from there. Gotta be able to get the top of the toolrest to be even with the center of the spindle and then above and below it.
Good pic. worth at LEAST a thousand words. 
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:30 pm
by paulmcohen
OK I think I got it figured out you need the same tool post as the Oneway or Delta Lathe. 1" in diameter and a total length of 5 1/4" , this allows the whole post to stay within the UTR but have enough up and down play to get to the center of the lathe +/- at least 3/8". This is the lenght of the current UTR parts that sit in the 1" hole to the top of any of the rests.
Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:07 am
by deanthom
Sounds like this would work, without pulling my URT out and measuring it. Sounds like we're on the same page.
Re: What Size Post for Modular Tool Rest
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:00 pm
by Jkroofer
Wondering if I can use the table as a temp tool rest